Harness-saddle.



,No. 819,446. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

Y J. MOSHER.

HARNESS SADDLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, 1905. i

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH MOSHER, OFGROSSDALE, ILLINOIS.

HARNESS-SADDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1906.

A li ti fil d March 13. 1905. Serial No. 249,685-

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrrr MOSHER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of Grossdale, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHarness-Saddles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in harness-saddles, and, asshown, is embodied in a saddle for a single harness, though obviouslyitis equally adaptablefor use in a double harness. Heretofore devices ofthis kind have usually been provided with a tree comprising a rigidcasting. to keep the saddle in form and which holds the back-pads inunvarying position with respect to each other,

and in case the shape of the saddle does not conform'to the contour ofthe animals back it either rides directly upon the backbone of theanimal or at points on either side thereof, ofttimes causing an abrasionof the skin and otherwise adding to the discomforture of the animal.

The object of this invention is to provide a harness-saddle of lightweight, yet of strong, cheap, and durable construction and which, owingto its resiliency, is adapted to yield to the stress of the girthsufficiently to be truly fitted upon the animal 5 back. v

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and morefully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary bottom plan view with partsremoved of a saddle embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a frontelevationof the saddle, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rearelevation of the stay-plates. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectionillustrating a detail of construction.

As shown in said drawings, A represents a stay-plate of any preferredmaterial, but as shown comprises a strip of sheet-steel bent centrally,causing the ends thereof to diverge downwardly, and is aperturedintermediate said bend and the ends to receive the screwthreaded studs aof the turret-rin s A and A which, as shown, project throug and beyondthe facing B and said stay. Said facing B may be of any desiredmaterial, but as shown is constructed of enameled leather and is ofgreater length and width than said stay forming the top finish for thesaddle. Beneath said stay-plate A is an auxiliary stay or brace A which,as shown, also comprises a strip of sheet-steel having a straightcentral ortion a and downwardly-diverging ends a 0 of which the end a isrigidly engaged upon the stay-plate A by means of the rivet a or in anyother preferred manner and is provided with an aperture in register withthe aperture through said plate A for the stud of the turret-ring A Theend a of said auxiliary stay A is provided, as shown more clearly inFig. 3, with an aperture for the stud of the turret-ring A, which whensaid stays are in their normal position is out of register with 1 theaperture through the plate A for said stud, but which when the ends ofsaid stays are sprung downwardly or inwardly is brought into registertherewith to receive the stud.-

Enga ed between said plate A and auxiliary stay 3 by means, as shown, ofa screw 1) is the fibrous washer B, of leather or any preferredmaterial, adapted to yieldingly hold said stays apart centrally whensprung into their adjusted position. Intermediate said washer B and theplate A and projecting forwardly therefrom is the base-plate B which, asshown, is riveted at its rear end to the stay-plate A and to which issecured the casting B for the check-hook B of any preferred constructionby means of the bolt 1), which extends downwardly through said castingand facing B and said base-plate and is provided with a nut b on thelower end thereof.

Passing through the facing B and through the ends of the plate A arethescrew-threaded studs C C, on which and on the studs 0, of theturret-rings, as shownin Fig. 2, are engaged the supporting members C,which, as shown, are castings provided with apertures or loops in theirouter ends, in which are engaged the thill-tugs C (3*, though obviouslywhen the saddle is embodied in a double harness said castings andthill-tugs are dispensed with. Beneath the castings C is the girth D, towhich and passing therethrough are riveted or otherwise rigidly securedoutwardly-flanged nuts d d, which engage said studs 0 and a,respectively, and by means of said flanges act to rigidly bind thegirth, facing, and intermediate parts together.

On the structure thus formed and rigidly engaged thereto by the binding6, of leather or other preferred material, are the back-p ads E E,which, as shown, comprise a back strip IIO E, of leather or otherpreferred material, adapted to be rigidly engaged on the studs C and aand upon the inner face of whichis provided a cushion E of hair or otherresilient material, incased by the inner facing of leather 6, rigidlyengaged at its margins to said backing E, by means of stitching or inany preferred manner, and over the edges of which and the edges of saidbacking E and the facing B is secured said binding e, which forms alateral finish for the saddle.

The operation is as follows: The stay A and the auxiliary stay A beingassembled as shown in Fig. 3, with the fibrous washer intermediate theircentral portions, it is obvious that when said stays are sprungdownwardly or in the direction of their curvature the apertures for thestud of the turret-ring A will be brought into register, and when saidstud is inserted said stays will be unable to spring back to theirnormal position, thus holding them to the desired curvature for thesaddle and providing a resilient frame therefor. When the facing B andthe back pads E E are secured thereto by means of the studs and thebinding 6, a very neat and light saddle is formed which is readilysprung to fit the animals back when the girth is tightened.

While I have shown my invention as embodied in a saddle for a singleharness, I do not wish to be limited thereto, as obviously it isadaptable for use in double harnesses, and

many details of construction may be varied without departing from theprinciples of my invention.

I claim as my invention 1. In a device of the class described thecombination with a resilient stay-plate of an auxiliary plate rigidlyengaged thereon at its ends and adapted to hold the same inwardly undertension, means spacing said plate centrally, back-pads carried on saidstay-plate and means affording a finish for the structure thus formed.

2. In a harness-saddle, a stay-plate having its ends sprung downwardly,an auxiliary stay rigidly en aged thereto, at its end and out of contactt erewith centrally and adapted to hold the ends of said plate fromspringing outwardly, resilient spacing means engaged centrally betweensaid plates and stays and a girth and back-pad engaged on the structurethus formed.

3. In a harness-saddle, a curved, resilient stay-plate, an auxiliarystay of difierent curvature than said stay-plate, means engaging theends of said stays together under tension, means separating said stayscentrally, a check-support thereon, a girth engaged to said stays and apair of back-pads rigidly engaged thereto.

4. In a harness-saddle the combination with a resilient stay-platehaving its ends sprung downwardly of an auXi iary stay adapted to engagethe ends of said plate and hold the same under tension, a facing abovesaid plate, a girth beneath the same, a pair of cushions beneath saidgirth and means for engaging said parts to ether.

5 In a harness-saddle the combination with the back-padsof a treecomprising a resilient plate bent centrally and provided with aperturesintermediate the bend and the ends, a centrally-bent plate of lesscurvature than aforesaid plate ri idly engaged at one end thereto andprovi' ed with apertures adapted to be brought into register with theaforesaid apertures when the plates are sprung downwardly and aresilient washer intermediatev the central portions of said plates.

6. A tree of the class described comprising a centrally-bent plateprovided with apertures therethrough, a plate beneath the same bent at adifferent angle thereto and provided with apertures therethroughnormally out of register with the aforesaid apertures, a resilientwasher between said plates and-means adapted to engage the platestogether under tension when the apertures are brought into re ister.

n testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof twosub- I scribing witnesses.

JOSEPH MOSHER.

Witnesses HJALMAR S. RUDD, W. W. WITHE-NBURY.

